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Totally choked up here. I rasped out, “He can see us.”
“Yes, he can. He can see us.” She came over, hugging me.
“How about you and me go back sometime? Go visit his grave?”
I pulled back, searching her face.
I blinked. “You’re serious.”
A somber but serious expression was there. Her hands dropped to the sides of my waist. “Yeah. I mean, the Prestige family is starting not to have the pull they used to, from what I’ve heard.”
“That’s what the lawyers are saying?” I asked, knowing she promised me that I wouldn’t be pulled in unless it was absolutely necessary. I’d gotten other texts from my previous friends saying the same thing.
“That’s what they’re saying. I believe them. Quite a few people have reached out.”
Oh. Oh.
That had me all choked up, all over again.
So many of her friends turned their backs on us. Some turned against us. If you have an injustice done to you, no matter the kind, and you find the courage to speak up, say the truth, and find that those who professed to love you didn’t believe you? That was a betrayal felt in the soul. To have them turn against you, siding with lies that were being said, that was a whole different kind of betrayal. That was the kind where you asked yourself how you could’ve been so wrong in choosing to love someone because, for them to do that to you, you must’ve been wrong in realizing what kind of people they were. That was the kind of betrayal that made you not believe in yourself, and in some ways, I felt that was the very worst type of betrayal.
My mom never deserved that.
She saw the tears, and another sad smile graced her face. She framed mine with her hands, moving in and resting her forehead to mine. “I am so proud of you. You are strong. You are beautiful. You are kind. You are fierce when you need to be. You are a warrior, and I am beyond blessed to have you as my daughter.”
She enfolded me into her arms, and we stayed there again.
It felt right. It felt healing.
My phone beeped, and I glanced at the text.
Gem: Where are you?? We’re heading to the dance. Are you sure you don’t want us to pick you up? Also, BEN IS BEING OUR DRIVER!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! He’s in town this weekend and came into Mario’s to pick up some shifts and overheard us talking about Homecoming. He agreed to be sober-cab in case, you know.
Gem: Also, he’s no longer cute. He’s HOT.
81
SCOUT
I was pummeling the bag when a vehicle pulled into my driveway. Glancing over my shoulder, seeing it was Cohen’s truck, I went back to the bag. After going for another two minutes straight, I took a break.
Cohen was there, a water in hand waiting for me.
“Hey.” I took the water.
As I took a long drink, he asked, “You seriously not heading to Homecoming?”
“Why would I?”
“Uh, because it’s Homecoming and Ramsay is going to look damn good.”
I scowled, tossing my water to the side before squaring off against the bag again. “She ain’t mine to look at. Never was.”
He stepped around, holding the bag for me. “You know that’s bullshit.”
“I’m leaving.” He was the only one I told.
He flicked his eyes up. “Look. You say shit sometimes. You say shit you don’t mean and right now, you don’t mean what you’re saying. Pull your head out of your ass. You leaving or not leaving, you need to be at that dance.”
I swung, my fist making contact. It wasn’t satisfying. I needed to hit it again, harder. Faster.
I swung again, but it wasn’t feeling right.
I glared at Cohen. “Can you leave? Let me train in peace.”
“No, because I know you. I didn’t know about your rich granddaddy or about all the bullshit you think you’re signing on, but I know you. I know that, no matter what you said to yourself, to Ramsay, to anyone who’d listen, you liked her. I knew that because I know you. You kept going back. You’d never do that if you didn’t have feelings. You’d never face off against Alex. You know I’m right on that.”
“Shut up, Cohen.” My teeth ground against each other.
“You go and you don’t make it right with her, that’ll scar you. Go to the dance, Scout. See your girl. Make it right. Do it or you’ll regret it.”
I started to shake my head.
“That girl’s been through enough. Don’t add to her list.”
I cursed softly. “I hate you sometimes.”
He flashed me a grin. “No, you don’t. Ramsay’s tough, but if there’s any night she’s going to want to see you, it’ll be tonight. Get your ass to that fancy hotel, and—”
“Wait.” I straightened to my fullest height, rolling my shoulders back. My hands dropped down. “What hotel?”
